Don’t Miss VPETT’s Summer Cool Down

Join us Tuesday, August 8 on the Valley Hall Patio from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. as the VPETT committee presents the Summer Cool Down! Enjoy hot dogs and snow cones and enter for your chance to win one of 20 VPETT water bottles to be raffled off. Come down and chill out for a few. Vegan options will be provided. For evening and weekend teams, frozen treats and raffle tickets will be handed out by your supervisors.

Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service Hosts Air Force Veterinarians and Staff

The USAF 60th Dental Squadron and the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service joined forces to advance dental care for some of the unsung heroes of the military, the military working dogs (MWDs). With a shared goal of enhancing the overall health and performance of these exceptional canines, the partnership took shape in the form of the first-ever MWD dental health joint symposium at UC Davis with a series of training workshops covering topics such as periodontal disease, vital pulp therapy, root canal therapy, and tooth wear.

Sacramento Zoo Chimpanzee Undergoes Kidney Surgery at VMTH

There is never a dull moment at the VMTH, but some days are more exciting than others! Such was the case two weeks ago when Maria, a 22-year-old chimpanzee from the Sacramento Zoo, visited the hospital for an abdominal CT scan. The scan confirmed a large mass on her right kidney, so the veterinary team prepped her for immediate surgery. They removed her kidney with an attached grapefruit-sized mass that was later determined to be an oncocytoma, a benign growth that rarely causes symptoms. In fact, Maria had shown no indication of being in discomfort; the mass was initially discovered during a preventive health exam.  

Student’s Family Adopts Patient in Her Care

Tori, an estimated 2-year-old German shepherd mix, has a new forever home thanks to second-year DVM student Lauren Prince. Her parents adopted Tori soon after the Fracture Program treated her for a broken leg and the Community Surgery Service spayed her and removed her injured eye. Tori and Lauren’s journey together is a tremendous example of the value that the Access To Care Program holds for our community.

Staff Update:

• Welcome Nick Orndorff to the Small Animal Patient Care/Emergency Critical Care team as a supervisor. Nick has worked as a member of the patient care team for several years. Prior to working at the VMTH, he served in the Marine Corps and has 16 years of supervisory and animal experience. Nick will be working Monday through Friday 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Congratulations on this much deserved promotion, Nick!

• Congratulations to Dr. Ching Ching Shirley Kot, a resident with the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service, on being named the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding AJVR Resident Manuscript Award. Dr. Kot was selected for her co-authoring of the manuscript “Biomechanical evaluation of locking vs. non-locking 2.0-mm malleable L-miniplate fixation of simulated caudal mandibular fractures in cats.”

Faculty Update:

• Congratulations to Dr. Boaz Arzi on being awarded the 2023 American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF)/EveryCat Health Foundation Research Award. The award was presented by the American Veterinary Medical Association at its annual conference, held recently in Denver, Colorado. Established in 2009, the award—previously known as the AVMF/Winn Feline Foundation Research Award—honors a candidate's contribution to advancing feline health through their research.

• Congratulations to Drs. Krystle Reagan, Chris Murphy, and Amir Kol on the success of their FIP clinical trials, which were recently highlighted in the Sacramento City Express and the Sacramento Bee.

July Recipients:

Christina Mancia, an animal health technician in the Integrative Medicine Service, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Realize Vision, Value People, and One Team, which contributed to the key results of Excellence in Patient Care and Employee Engagement.

“Cristina has been exceptional at holding the Integrative Medicine Service together recently, as we have been short staffed for more than four weeks. Cristina jumped in constantly without hesitation and somehow also found time to help out with additional tasks such as interviews during this period, too. Thank you, Cristina! We really appreciate you and are very lucky to have you on our team.”

Dr. Taylor Jackson, a House Officer in the Dermatology Service, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Value People and One Team, which contributed to the key result of Excellence in Patient Care.

“We recently had a sick cat patient needing a 'surprise' urgent myringotomy, right in the middle of Dermatology’s busy day. Dr. Jackson and Dr. Outerbridge graciously took the time to help the patient and really made a difference to its management. We really appreciate your time and effort with this case. Thank you!”

Thank you, Christina and Dr. Taylor, for your hard work and dedication to the VMTH.

Key Cultural Pillar



“Value People”

The VMTH recently acknowledged the dedication and hard work of its staff members with the annual Staff Awards and Rachel Smith Award. Additionally, since there are many exceptional staff members who have been at the hospital for a relatively short time, the committee decided to acknowledge their contributions by continuing the Rising Star Award which was introduced last year. This award recognizes someone who has been at the hospital for five years or less but who is well on their way to making a strong impact. Nominee Summer Condie was described as a trusted and innovative leader who engages in compassionate care of the patients, students, staff, residents, and faculty. Nominee Gangadeep Kaur was noted as knowledgeable, professional, an excellent trainer of new staff, and a hard worker who goes above and beyond. Nominee Rosanna Ocegueda is noted as being an emerging leader who provides passionate care for her patients and has brought many great ideas to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of her service. Each nominee’s submission was filled with similar accolades praising their dedication to the hospital, their patients, the clients, and their team members. Other nominees included Liz Abell, Dawn Cauthen, Cole Jacobsen, Nicole Wheeler, and Traci Zalasky. Thank you to the Staff Awards Committee for their hard work: Dr. Matthew Prator (chair), Sarah Blasczynski, Simon Ehrlich (administrative support), Brenda Keegan, Dr. Isabelle Kilcoyne, Jason Peters, Dr. Erik Olstad, Dr. Josh Stern, and Traci Zalasky. The hospital extends a sincere thank you to the committee for its dedication to these awards, with a special recognition to Simon Ehrlich for his excellent management and organization of the process and the ceremony.

Congratulations to all award winners and nominees!

Rachel Smith Award Winner:

Kimi Kan-Rohrer (Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service)

Large Animal Staff Award Winner:

Lisa Navarro (Equine Intensive Care Unit)

Small Animal Staff Award Winner:

Amanda Dang (Specialty Services Supervisor)

Client Services/Administrative Staff Award Winner:

Monique Peyton Perez (Financial Services Manager)

Support Services Staff Award Winner:

Amanda Storms (Anatomical Pathology Service Administration)

Rising Star Award Winner:

Ashlea Chavez (Equine Medicine Service)

Wellness Tip of the Month

Florence Soares-Dabalos, MS, LMFT, the VMTH’s client support and wellness professional, offers a brief tip on managing stress through the current crisis. Please see full website of services that Florence offers, including a new section on House Officer Wellness.

• With summer upon us and the hot weather impacting my mood and taking away my motivation, I wondered how others might be impacted by the changing temperatures. This article explains how weather can impact us. Most surprising was how suicidality increases in the warmer months. Let’s be sure to check in with each other to ensure all in the VMTH community are receiving care and compassion. If you, or someone you know, is feeling suicidal, please call or text 988.